Why it matters: The achievement highlights the calibre of creative talent being developed at the University of Suffolk, with Mrs Downing's work earning national recognition alongside established artists.
The details: Mrs Downing, who lives near Woodbridge, is one of just 82 creatives shortlisted for the John Ruskin Prize Exhibition 2026 from almost 4,000 entries.
Her installation, Fragments (East Lane), comprises eight pieces of hinged paintings on found boards, which are double-sided, depicting the ruined WWII gun emplacements at East Lane, Bawdsey.
The exhibition showcases talent in all media, encouraging interdisciplinary works responding to this year's theme of Patient in Looking, Truth in Making.
What she's saying: "I feel incredibly lucky to have been selected for the exhibition," said Mrs Downing.
"It depicts the memory of a place through fragments, using the viewer's actions to see both sides of the hinged pieces. It showcases the beauty of graffiti and brutalist architecture contrasted with its abandonment and decay."
She praised the university's Fine Art programme for enabling her development: "The way it is structured has enabled me to develop in a way that I wouldn't have thought possible. My lecturers have been an incredible source of advice and support over the last three years, knowing which direction to nudge me, so that I explore the themes I'm most interested in and take the most out of it."
What they're saying: Jane Watt, Senior Lecturer in Fine Art, said the team are thrilled with Mrs Downing's success.
"It is testament to her skill, creativity and innovativeness as well as professionalism that her paintings have been chosen from nearly 4,000 works submitted by emerging and established artists from across Britain," she said.
"It's been great to see her work, which is rooted in the Suffolk landscape, developing in our studios here in the Arts Building, now being recognised on a national stage and to a wide audience."
What's next: The exhibition runs at Trinity Buoy Wharf in London from 29 January until 21 February.
The bottom line: A University of Suffolk student has transformed local wartime heritage into nationally recognised art, proving that regional creative talent can compete on the national stage.
